Robert Graves is a great introduction, and if you want a fictionalised approach I second Mary Renault's The Bull from the Sea and the King Must Die (as well as her other ones). I love them. Surely I can't be the only person who thought The Shield of Achilles was crap?

These have already been suggested but I second Tales From Ovid and the Fagles translations of Iliad and Odyssey both of which I loved. I had never read epic poetry before but didn't find them hard work (although the fighting and dying in the Iliad is visceral). Ted Hughes' poems in Tales from Ivid are beautiful.

Richmond Lattimore's translations of the Iliad and Odyssey are also excellent, Fagles is more modern, Lattimore is closer to the original Greek and is more poetic. Both are very good (I have both, the lattimore versions also have excellent companion explanatory volumes that explain it all as you go along).

There's a really good modern translation of The Iliad by Robert Fagles (Penguin Classics) which is absolutely gripping - very bloody/robust but absolutely gripping. I'd definitely read that before you read Song of Achilles which I loved too. Would also second Mary Renault and Ted Hughes' Tales from Ovid.

I have never known much about Greek Mythology but recently read Song of Achilles which I loved and now I want more! I would definitely start there Carpe. I'd also love some recommendations for more of the same, rather than more textbook type retelling. From looking at amazon it seems like Robert Graves is more like the latter - anyone know any others?

Just looked at the 'Look Inside' Amazon feature on the Usbourne one. Most of the pages shown are the reference 'Whos who' pages at the back. Don't be put off. The book itself is heavily illustrated. Its the one I read the most when I was younger before I moved onto Graves (and ended up with a degree in Ancient History )

No, more for me to read. I was fascinated as a child, and just finished reading the Percy Jackson books which inspired me to try to find stuff; but the local bookshop is also the Uni shop, so stuff in there is a bit dry.